The Alaskan malamute has naturally occurring chondrodysplasia, an inborn error of metabolism that appears as a recessive trait with varying degrees of expression. The animal serves as a useful model for studying the pathogenesis of chondrodysplasia. Observation of growth patterns in puppies is especially useful. Studies of biochemical, histochemical, and morphological changes serve to define the disease in human beings. They may also elucidate mechanisms of pathogenic processes that occur with neoplasms of the skeletal system.